Riley Wagner
Reporting 2 Student
Peace. The crisp air, the smell of the freshly cut grass and the sound of the birds chirping. It is peaceful, even if your life is as chaotic as it can be, in that moment the mind is at peace.
In El Dorado, there is a hidden gem for college kids and athletes to experience such a scenario. The Prairie Trails Golf Club (PTGC), located in northeast El Dorado just south of the Lake, does exactly that. The golf club is something that may seem boring or weird for a college student to join, but it is more than just playing the game of golf.
At the PTGC they offer a special rate for college students and their membership if they wish to get one. Without one, the total price to drive a cart and play nine holes is $23.50 and $39.50 for a full 18.
But the club offers students a special rate per month, $50 for a cart and that includes unlimited golf, so at any time you can come in and play a full 18 or just nine holes. All you need to do is check in.
Most students like to do the three month membership, which costs a Butler student $150 for all you can play golf in the time frame. Most students pay the $150 up front instead of there being a monthly fee.
The game of golf is no simple task, and for some, it is not fun if they are not good at it, but the PTGC allows students to learn and better their game with the driving range they have located between holes two and seven
It is $3 for a range ball token. One token comes out to be about 30 golf balls that can be taken to the range and be hit for practice. The customer just needs to bring their own clubs, and a golf cart will be given to them so the quick trip down to the range is easier.
Not only does the PTGC provide a driving range, it also provides a full 18-hole course with bluegrass fairways and perfect sand greens. Each hole is unique and fun in its own way, whether it is a water hole or just a regular one.
The course can be of a challenge for any golfer as it has its fair share of par 5s. Many are located near the rough, where a player may indeed slice a ball into the trees and have to lose a stroke.
The golf course can be a fun and relaxing time for anyone as they and their friends can take on the challenge of all 18 holes or just the front or the back nine. Either way, anyone on the course is sure to have a good time enjoying themselves and each other’s company.
Butler football player Chance Omli has this to say about playing golf.
“You just go out and play with your friends,” he said, “The sport also isn’t taxing on your body, which is a plus.”
The PTGC also allows students to make new friends and meet people. They host a number of tournaments open to the public, which allows for anyone to enter. People come from all over the area to play the tournaments.
Not only are playing tournaments a great way to meet people but also just playing throughout the week.
There are constantly golfers on the course every day day of the week, including Sunday.
“We met a player who was playing on the hole behind us and pulled up to the tee box we were on,” Mason Thrash, a Grizzly football player, said. “We asked him if he wanted to play with us and he did.”
“We instantly became friends and kept playing with him the rest of the day. The golf course is great for meeting new people you have things in common with.”
The course is even so busy on weekends, players are encouraged to book a tee time or your chances of playing go down significantly. Without a tee time, a player may not get the chance to play that day, depending on how busy it is.
Whether you need to leave some stress behind, or are looking to make new friends, Prairie Trails can be perfect for anyone.
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